Описание презентации FCRAO (Five College Radio по слайдам

The Five College Radio Astronomical Observatory ( FCRAO ) was a radio astronomy observatory located on a peninsula in the Quabbin Reservoir. It was sited in the town of New Salem, Massachusetts on land that was originally part of Prescott, Massachusetts. It was founded in 1969 by the Five College Astronomy Department ( University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass), Amherst College , Hampshire College , Mount Holyoke College and Smith College ). [1] From its incepton, the observatory has emphasized research , the development of technology and the training of students— both graduate and undergraduate.

The original low frequency telescope was superseded in 1976 by a 14 -m diameter radome-enclosed antenna for use at high radio frequencies (mm wavelengths), built primarily to study the physics and chemistry of interstellar clouds, circumstellar envelopes, planetary atmospheres, and comets. The history of scientific research at the FCRAO 14 m telescope has paralleled the evolution of millimeter-wave astronomy. Initially, the science was in a period of discovery, triggered by the remarkable detection of CO in 1970 and the follow-up work which defined the nature of the molecular interstellar medium The operation of the 14 m telescope with a strong scientific focus and a commitment to key survey projects allows unique scientific investigations and provides excellent research opportunities for students in astronomy and instrumentation. Thus, we believe that our focus on evolutionary questions is aligned with the traditional objective of FCRAO for excellence in three major areas: astronomical research , instrumentation and education of students. We believe that the commitment to excellence in all three areas is vital to the success of university-based observatories like our own and that the achievements of such facilities are crucial to the future of American science.

Five College Consortium Students at each of the schools may take classes and borrow books at the other schools, generally without paying additonal fees. They may use resources at the other schools, including internet access, dining halls, and so forth. The five colleges collectvely offer over 5, 300 courses, and the five libraries have over eight million books. [17] The Pioneer Valley Transit Authority (PVTA) operates bus services between the schools and the greater Pioneer Valley area. There are two joint departments in the five-college consortum: Dance and Astronomy. [

surveys of the structure of individual molecular clouds in the Milky Way; when combined with optcal/IR observatons, have led to a deeper understanding of star-forming regions.

the study of cometary comae, which contain the most primitve material surviving the birth of the solar system, and thus provide unique records of the early history of the solar system.

the Massachusetts-Stony Brook Galactic Plane Survey and the FCRAO CO Survey of the 2 nd Quadrant, which provide the most complete information available on Milky Way clouds. the FCRAO Extragalactic CO Survey of 300 galaxies, which when combined with HI and optical/IR observations, provides the basis for understanding galaxies and their evolution.

characterization of the chemical composition of molecular clouds and charting of chemical processes which influence the abundance of molecular tracers. The development of instrumentation within the FCRAO labs contributed to the discovery of the binary pulsar system PSR 1913+16 by Joe Taylor and Russel Hulse and for which they received the 1993 Nobel Prize in Physics